REV. VICTOR J. MARITATO, RETIRED NAVY CHAPLAIN

The Rev. Victor J. Maritato, a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn who served as a Navy chaplain for 21 years, died on Sunday at his Pompano Beach home. He was 65.

Rev. Maritato was assigned to the aircraft carrier Bennington when the Gulf of Tonkin incident occurred in 1965 at the start of the Vietnam War.

He later received the Navy Commendation Medal for his service in and around Naples, from 1968 to 1970. He also served in Puerto Rico, Parris Island, S.C., and Meridian, Miss., before retiring from the Navy in 1979.

After retirement, Rev. Maritato taught in the Naval church in Puerto Rico as a civilian employee for the Navy for many years. He was released from his duties as a priest last year and retired.

Rev. Maritato was born in Brooklyn and attended the Huntington Seminary in New York. He was ordained by the Roman Catholic Church on June 13, 1951, and for 10 years worked in the Church of Carnasy before joining the Navy's chaplain staff.

He is survived by two sisters, Florence Zappia of Westbury, N.Y., and Carmela Donato of Margate; and three brothers, Pasquale of Plantation, Louis of New York and Albert of Margate.

He was buried on Long Island on Friday. Arrangements by Joseph A. Scarano Funeral Home of Hollywood and Orlando Funeral Home of Brooklyn.